Talk:The ABC Song
I'm not sure *where* my variant comes from; at first I was thinking it might be a local Canadian one, but the fact that it uses the pronunciation "zee" for "Z" (look at the rhymes) makes me think not. -- Paul Drye
how is Haddocks Eyes related to the alphabet song? -- Tarquin
I for one have no idea. It seems more related to "The House that Jack Built". Removed the link. --Anonymous
Disputed
"(z = zee to rhyme with v, not zed)"
This was not true where I learned it (Ontario, Canada.) I don't believe this is how it's universally sung. Jonathan Grynspan
- I agree. I added a note reflecting the assertion to American and British English differences, which was quickly deleted, so I also assume it can be sung with zed. I guess the lack of rhyme is not troubling to non-Americans. After all, American children call Chicken Licken Chicken Little, which throws that rhyme out. Joestynes 07:43, 21 Jan 2005 (UTC)
- I've tried another wording to see if we can get the 'disputed' off the page. My big question is, where does the 'what does {letter} say' song come from? I suspect it is regional. Niteowlneils 18:22, 27 Jan 2005 (UTC)
- Actually I remember reading a study about how the younger generation in Canada was starting to pronounce z as "zee" rather than "zed" due to the popularity of the rhyming version of the alphabet song [1]. I don't know if this should be reflected in the article somehow. --DropDeadGorgias (talk) 04:13, Apr 8, 2005 (UTC)
The alphabet song?
Does anyone outside the USA label it as such? Otherwise, it would be somewhat POV to single this one out for mention. If this particular one was officially renamed "The Alphabet Song" then it might be filed as such ... but would C. Bradlee (or indeed anybody who covered it commercially) have ever renamed it to be "The alphabet song" with a lowercase "a" and "s"?
Here in the UK, I suppose most of us are acquainted with this version only through Sesame Street in the days when it was shown over here. We probably have quite a few alphabet songs. One my mum taught me when I was little was set out rather like this
A B C D E F G, H I J K LMNOP, Q R S T U V W X, Y, Z
One of my primary school teachers also knew one to the tune of Jack and Jill.
-- Smjg 10:57, 27 July 2005 (UTC)
My dad, who grew up in Ireland, taught me the following version. I don't know how commonplace it was. It was sung to a completely different melody, which is difficult to describe through text, but I'll try to give the general idea through emphasis:
A-b C-d E-f G-h I-j K-l M (pause) n O-p Q-r S-t U-v W X-y Z
Alternate grouping
A version supposedly favoured at one time in California, either by the state university or the DOE, grouped the letters thus:
- A B C D E F G
- H I J K L M N
- O P Q, R S T
- U V W X Y Z
and otherwise used the usual closing lines and the French melody. Thought it worth a mention. knoodelhed 04:05, 22 October 2005 (UTC)
We always used to repeat the 'LMNOP', further encouraging the view that it was a seperate letter. And our ending was different. "...U V W X Y Z. X Y Z, Butter on your bread. If you don't like it you'll have to go to bed." This also means that ours had drifted from the original tune somewhat. 14:04, 27 January 2006 (UTC) (Skittle)